Travel Guide Tournai

With an area of almost 214 km², nestled in the 29 villages it administers, Tournai is the largest municipality in Belgium. It is also the oldest city in French-speaking Belgium and the first capital of France. This city of kings, some 30 km from Lille, likes to remind us that it is, no more and no less, the cradle of France. Born in Gallo-Roman times, it became a capital under the four Merovingian kings: Clodion, Merove, Childéric and Clovis. Clovis left Tournai to conquer Gaul, establish his authority as King of the Franks over all its inhabitants, and set up the new capital of his kingdom in Paris. After a period of Frankish occupation, Tournai became French (several times during its history), then English, Spanish, Austrian, Dutch, and finally Belgian when the country became independent. Tournai has preserved much evidence of its two thousand years of existence, and has accumulated a wealth of treasures that it invites you to discover during your visit.Over the course of twenty centuries, the urban landscape has evolved and is still evolving. Since the end of the 2nd millennium, the heart of the city has been changing with the rhythm of urban development work. A more pedestrian-friendly space was created along an axis running through the city center, from the Maison de la Culture to the quays of the Escaut. At the same time, the city's monumental heritage is being restored, such as the belfry, reopened in 2002, and its neighbor, the prestigious Notre-Dame cathedral, where restoration work is well underway and well worth a visit. The Grand-Place is also one of the city's most recently renovated areas, where you're sure to enjoy a glass of local beer on one of the many terraces lining the square.Linger there in the evening: you'll be enchanted by its lights. The train station has also been brought up to date, and is decked out in multicolored hues from dusk to dawn. Tournai is a pleasant city to live in: festivities are a tradition, and strolling around is a delight, with a wide variety of architectural styles: Romanesque, Gothic, Renaissance, neoclassical, eclectic, Art Nouveau, Art Deco... and strolls, especially along the Scheldt, turn visitors into satisfied tourists. A city on a human scale, Tournai combines art, history, culture, traditions, folklore, gastronomy and conviviality for your pleasure.